


solitaire

by bluntforcedrauma (fundips)



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Character Study, Eye Gouging, Family Dynamics, Fic Exchange, Introspection, M/M, Mild Gore, Possessive Behavior, basically Tserriednich hires illumi to get the scarlet eyes from pairo, basically a fic on how illumi and hisoka first met, hisoka wants the scarlet eyes to give to chrollo lmao, it's sorta short and i wanted to make it longer but i write too much, sorry abt the eye tags
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-06
Updated: 2017-09-06
Packaged: 2018-12-24 17:43:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12017829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fundips/pseuds/bluntforcedrauma
Summary: Illumi was usually able to anticipate most events that occurred before they even happened; he was rather efficient that way.He definitely didn’t expect anyone like Hisoka to show up in his life, however, especially not in the manner that he did.





	solitaire

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tittysatan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tittysatan/gifts).



> This is my part of the fic exchange with [tittysatan](http://archiveofourown.org/users/tittysatan). The prompt was writing a character study on Illumi Zoldyck so I took the challenge and wrote how I feel like Illumi and Hisoka met. I hope you enjoy!

Illumi could definitely call himself a busy person, considering he was in charge of training a rather rebellious younger brother, soothing a neurotic mother during her frequent breakdowns, and assuming almost all responsibilities involving family affairs. Usually it would be his father’s duty to undertake this responsibility but he frequently enjoyed playing as a calm and collected laid-back father who Killua could look up to.

It was slightly frustrating and endearing, he admitted, considering he wished Killua could respect and venerate Illumi in the same way he did with his father. It would make his job far easier but instead Illumi found himself recognizing a very key difference between himself and Killua: he was modeling after his father, while Illumi was modeled after his mother. Naturally they would be different but this might lead to some unexpected and undesirable outcomes.

Illumi wasn’t neurotic and unstable like Kikyo, but rather possessive and she was able to instill the belief within him that friends were not only an unnecessary but absolutely useless. It was difficult to make Killua believe this now that he was molding himself with his father’s beliefs, some of which included phrases like “friends are important” and “you should never betray a friend.” It was counterproductive of him to say such nonsense to Killua since Illumi was just beginning to make progress with him, and now the mass amount of time and energy he’d put into his training was slowly going to waste. Hearing Killua talking about things regarding independence and running away from home was beginning to become a frequent occurrence.

It didn’t strike fear into his heart, since he knew it was just a phase, but Silva could at least make an effort not to derail his years of training. It wasn’t as if Illumi couldn’t bring Killua back home, but he was threatened by his father’s ideas involving Killua gaining freedom. If Illumi could have it his way, he would be by Killua’s side at all times no matter the hour, day, or year.

Therefore, he was starting to question his father’s motives. It was quite possible that he was trying to pry Illumi apart from Killua now that he still could: he was beginning to assign them jobs at the same times, so Illumi would have no choice but to distance himself from Killua. It was also possible that Killua was expressing discomfort with Illumi’s presence, Silva sensed it, and was attempting to allow Killua more time away from Illumi.

That didn’t make much sense though, considering he loved Illumi. Maybe their father thought that Illumi was becoming a bit unhealthily fixated on Killua, and perhaps he was doing this to help Illumi gain more of a sense of self that wasn’t build completely on the subject of “Killua’s brother.” Yes, that must be it.

It was the case currently, actually, as Illumi found himself blending in among the crowds of Yorknew City. He was out on yet another assignment that happened to occur at the exact same time as Killua’s. He couldn’t help but lament the absence of his younger brother by his side but for now he would need to focus on finding his current target.

According to the file explaining the terms and conditions of the contract, his employer’s name was Tserriednich and he was a connoisseur and collector of various human artifacts from limbs to severed locks of hair, and in this case, eyes. Illumi was tasked with finding a target named Pairo, who was apparently just a child. The specific conditions involved scooping out his eyes and placing them in a container with preservation fluid (which Illumi had in his coat) and bringing his head as well.

Illumi was sure he would be able to bring the eyes but the head was another story. He didn’t have space for a head in his coat and he felt a prickle of irritation in his blood when the directions were requested at the last minute, right when he arrived at Yorknew. He would definitely charge extra for the inconvenience.

He pulled his hair back with a tie as he walked, pushing a few needles through the base to keep it tight and unmoving. Finding Pairo was rather difficult: the first few days he’d spent a decent amount of time morphing his appearance into various different people to gather information, considering there were no pictures or traces of such a boy. All he had to go off of was a list describing possible features that were more or less common, such as brown hair and bad eyesight.

There were plenty of brown-haired boys in Yorknew but not all of them had eyes worth over a billion Jenny postmortem.

He finally had a lead however, at an orphanage in the inner city. Unlike the rest of the city which had tall buildings in an exact grid pattern and ubiquitous skyscrapers that were smudged by the smog-filled sky, downtown seemed far dingier and less imposing. There were hookers that stalked the streets in their skimpy outfits and high boots looking for work, their drug-addled bodies as thin as his pins, cheekbones jutting out through pallid skin. He must’ve stepped past ten broken needles by now, most likely used for some kind of junkie recreational use. The only splash of color in the grime came from the lurid graffiti that was sprayed along alleyways and walls.

Illumi… wasn’t impressed. He’d been in worse places and he wasn’t worried for his safety, but rather his mind began to drift as he thought what would happen if Killua ran away and ended up in a place like this. He could probably take care of himself, killing whoever he needed to in order to survive, but if he needed to hole up in a place like this orphanage it wouldn’t cater to his path as an assassin. He had too much potential to waste here.

Now that he was on this train of thought, he began to wonder what would happen if the Zoldyck family was annihilated by one of their enemies. If they were all murdered and Killua was the only survivor, would he truly be okay in a place like this? Illumi truly wasn’t sure. Maybe he would talk to his father to find a sort of godparenting situation. The Zoldyck family wasn’t known for making allies but perhaps his father had some considering all that talk about friends.

Illumi had finally stopped in front of the address identifying the orphanage. It looked ready to fall apart, a bleak structure beginning to wane on its base. He decided to take the back entrance as it would be easier to get inside and take a child that way.

The door opened silently on its amber hinges as Illumi’s palm pressed gingerly against its moist frame. Ivy gnarled its way through broken windows within the children’s rooms, tangling its leathery shape throughout the wistful abode. The undefinable source of darkness draped over the walls like a tapestry as he took a light steps over the rotting oak floors.

Just as he thought, there was a singular room where there was a boy being kept, like a containment unit. Blank walls, no window, just solid darkness. Illumi could see as he entered that instead of a cot, the boy slept upon a mat with only a dirty towel to keep out the cold. The other children must have thought he was a monster because of those eyes.

It was a bit ironic, Illumi acknowledged as he took a thin needle from his coat to insert into Pairo’s brain, that such a gem existed in a place so poor. Those eyes were worth so much, it would be enough to upgrade the entire ugly section of the city. The money could build the orphanage anew with a beautiful structure with clean beds and caring nurses. It was a good thing Illumi got here before anyone else, or else things could get ugly. He wasn’t a fan of competition.

Suddenly, his En picked up on something. It was a presence, human, beginning to approach the orphanage. The way it walked was too confident to be any junkie or fool.

_Oh darn._

Illumi had to make this quick. If someone else was coming for the Scarlet Eyes then it would be best if he hurried it up. He pushed the needle through the boy’s skull and brain, infusing it with Nen. The order, in this case, was to keep him unconscious considering he wanted this job to contain the least amount of mess as possible. _Blood wasn’t always preferable,_ he thought as he hauled the boy over his shoulder and moved back into the hallway.

Suddenly, he couldn’t sense the presence anymore. They were using Zetsu upon realizing they were caught in Illumi’s En field, which means they knew aura.

 _This is fine,_ he thought, pushing past the back door and into the abandoned and discarded empty garden in the back of the orphanage. He was confident that he would be able to kill anyone who tried to get in his way. He was a Zoldyck and his name was often enough to strike fear in others, and for good reason.

“And who might you be?” Illumi heard a voice ask slowly. The voice poured from smiling lips that were molten, saccharine, sickeningly romantic.

He turned around at that, looking up to see a figure crouched upon the top of the roof staring down at him. The man was indeed using Zetsu, and now that Illumi had him in his sights he dropped En. It was wasted energy at this point.

Squinting a bit, it was a bit difficult to see the man’s form against the brightness of the moon, but he was sure that the man was…

“Are you a clown?”

The man seemed to stop smiling at that. As unamused as Illumi was, he couldn’t help but think he was right. The intruder had face paint, a teardrop on one cheek and a star on the other. He wore a top that was black and with suit symbols imprinted on the cloth.

“I am not a clown.”

“Oh.”

Illumi wasn’t a fantastic conversationalist. He only said what was needed when it was needed, and usually only spoke when spoken to in his own household. His social skills were only proficient when he pretended to be someone else, but interacting with people as _himself_ was usually a different story.

“I am a magician. A jester, if you will,” the man corrected, his smile returning. Illumi considered blocking him out and leaving, but it was best to let fools talk. “Do you want to see a magic trick? I am quite skilled.”

“I don’t believe in magic.” Illumi was already unimpressed and the act hadn’t even begun.

“Oh but you will, after I’m done showing you what I can do.”

The clown—no, the _magician_ —all but waved his hand and Pairo’s body was yanked from Illumi’s shoulder by some kind of invisible force. His target was now dangling from the man’s grip on his collar like a ragdoll. The jester was using In on his own aura, and judging from the distance, he was either a transmuter or an emitter.

 _Ah. So he’s after the eyes too I suppose._ Illumi watched with fascination as the man inspected Pairo’s form. _I guess this means I have to kill him._

As quick as he was for a Zoldyck, the magician was faster. He dodged the first set of needles Illumi had thrown by simply shifting his body to the right, which was indeed quite impressive.

“You must be a professional,” Illumi commented flatly. He would be at least slightly irritated at this point but emotions were reserved for family. “Are you after the eyes?”

“Mmm… I am. You too?”

“Yes. I would like to have my target back now.”

The magician eyed him with amusement. “You’re surprisingly polite for a contract killer.”

“Is that a no?” Illumi was finding some difficulty in reading his expression. Silva stressed the importance of only killing the target, as leaving a mess behind would dirty the Zoldyck name. They were known for clean and efficient kills.

Illumi didn’t bat an eye as the man pressed his fingers into Pairo’s eye sockets, suddenly gouging them out. He rolled the Scarlet Eyes in his palm like dice as he licked his lips and let out… a moan? Yes that was definitely a moan. Although Illumi rarely gave the benefit of expressions, he knew that a look of surprise crossed his face.

“You’ll have to come get them,” the magician purred with the most sultry of tones, dropping Pairo’s body from the roof. Illumi shot forward to catch it, considering he needed the head for Tserriednich’s collection. By the time he leapt to the roof, the man was gone.

_Hm. Maybe “professional” was an understatement._

Usually most people would be disturbed that a sadistic moaning clown just tore out a child’s eyes but Illumi was so desensitized to violence he couldn’t bring himself to care. The only thought that tainted his mind was how the child was the same age as Killua. It was a strange reminder of him but even when they were apart it seemed he couldn’t keep his mind off his younger brother. Silva’s methods hadn’t worked after all.

“You’re so smooth… you move like a dancer.” Illumi turned to the sound of the voice. The jester was stood upon one of the larger buildings that loomed above the orphanage’s roof, blood slowly dripping through his fingers from the eyes. His grin was unchanging. “You fight with those needles don’t you? What a fascinating weapon… you’re a manipulator or a conjurer, I bet.”

This time Illumi was faster as his body moved so fast his form flickered, not giving the man time to slip away as he grasped his wrist tightly. He dislocated the magician’s joint with ease, bending it at an awkward angle. Instead of recoiling, his opponent surprised him yet again by leaning into Illumi’s touch with a hungry purr. He shut his eyes for a moment as his tongue slithered across his lips, seemingly ecstatic that Illumi had just caused him excruciating pain. At first he’d thought that the man was shaking out of fear but it was out of pleasure.

It wasn’t uncommon for sadistic people to end up in his line of work, but masochism was something completely unexpected. In fact, he wasn’t sure if he met someone who enjoyed agony to this extent.

The magician let the eyes (the irises now consumed with a bright scarlet color) roll out of his hand. Illumi caught them before they fell, dropping the man’s arm.

“You’re odd.”

Upon hearing Illumi’s comment, the magician opened his eyes again. They were gold and seductive, cat-like in shape. “Maybe,” he drawled. “I bet you’re worse, though, considering you’re a Zoldyck.”

Illumi cocked his head. He was interested now.

As if he read his mind, the man continued. “Mmm, I know because Chrollo knows the Zoldycks personally and has spoken about them in the past.”

Oh.

This magician was a part of the Phantom Troupe and that changed things dramatically. Zeno had a distaste for Chrollo and he was adverse to any spider relations. He’d heard that a member of the Phantom Troupe was killed due to a contract, and although Chrollo most likely wished for their death to be avenged, he was no fool. Zeno repeatedly stressed the importance of not killing a spider unless their death was contracted by an employer. Similarly, he was also told that the spiders were not to kill a Zoldyck unless it was absolutely necessary, since neither Chrollo nor his grandfather wanted deaths on either side. They were all professionals here and it was best to keep things the way they were.

At the same time however, this meant he was not allowed to kill the magician. That made things a bit more complex.

“These eyes are mine and I am taking them with me. I got here first,” Illumi replied coldly.

“So blunt and straight to the point,” the jester looked him over as he spoke, his gaze similar to how one might stare at a delicious steak after not eating for several days. “You’re right of course. The boss would be a bit upset with me if I killed you since the rest of your family would massacre the Troupe. I’ll let you have the eyes if you want them that much.”

Illumi wasn’t the least bit unnerved. “Good. Then we have an understanding.”

The magician turned his head to the side, eyes sinister. “I do want something in return, however.”

“I don’t owe you anything.”

“I’m letting you have the eyes, aren’t I?”

“If I needed to I would have killed you and taken them myself, no matter the hostility established between Chrollo and my family. He would understand that anybody who gets in a Zoldyck’s way dies.”

“Then fight me right now,” he purred.

“There is no reason to at the moment.”

“Interesting answer.”

“Is it?”

They were meeting each other’s gaze evenly and without breaking eye contact.

“Can I have your number?” the magician spoke, breaking the silence.

“I don’t have a phone.”

“It’s hanging on your belt.”

 _Oh._ Illumi frowned as he gingerly touched it with his fingertips, looking back to the thief. He was smiling, as usual.

As family-centered as Illumi was, his father stressed the importance of an equal give and take. It was important to not allow any debt to fall upon the Zoldyck name and it included small things as well. It was about honor and a certain code, something Illumi was very familiar with but also quite averse to. His mother had taught him that allies were unnecessary while Silva and Zeno said otherwise. It was beginning to get a bit confusing.

“Fine. I suppose I can help you out with something,” he stated tentatively. How annoying.

“You’re familiar with the Hunter Exam, right?”

“Naturally,” Illumi replied, a bit slower this time. “I’m taking it this year. I need a license for one of my jobs.”

The magician’s eyes lit up. “That’s perfect. I would like a Hunter license as well. How nice would it be if we helped each other out during the exam?”

Illumi stared, deadpan. He wasn’t used to working together with people who weren’t family; in fact, he was quite ill-disposed to the idea, but in order to keep his family name clean he would do whatever it took. “I accept.”

It took a few minutes but they exchanged numbers, the man entering the name into his phone’s contacts as Hisoka. Illumi couldn’t say he was surprised that his name in its definition meant ‘sneaky.’

“Mm, Illumi?”

“Yes?”

“Oh nothing, I was just saying your name out loud. It rolls off the tongue well,” Hisoka murmured with that signature ominous smile, his tone languid and sweet. “It’s like the word ‘illuminate,’ which is so unlike you.”

“Wow. Thanks.” Illumi hadn’t noticed but the eyes were beginning to feel a bit soft in his hands. It was probably the cool air beginning to deteriorate the fleshy substance coating them. “I need to get going.”

“So soon?”

“Yes. Do you protest?”

Hisoka licked his lips for what Illumi felt to be the sixth time that night. “No, I’ll just message you later.”

“Don’t talk to me too much until the exam itself. I’m busy and I don’t have time for people like you,” Illumi answered as he shouldered past Hisoka with Pairo on his shoulder. He would have to sever the head later and find something to put it in so it wouldn’t start to rot.

Hopefully he could get back home when Killua did so he could spend some more time with him before their next job. Being apart was something Illumi was adjusting to. Maybe it was a feeling akin to empty nest syndrome.

“How rude,” Hisoka gave a pleased hum. “As a thank you, I will definitely tell Chrollo good things about you. Maybe he will request your services later, _Illumi_.”

The name did roll off his tongue well, he acknowledged.

**Author's Note:**

> Per usual, my tumblr is @godspeedcomplex or you can click [here](http://godspeedcomplex.tumblr.com/). My ask box is open and I do like to do fic exchanges and prompts when asked! 
> 
> Extra stuff btw:
> 
> Solitaire is a metaphor in a popular classic novel called “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck. Solitaire, which means _alone_ , is a metaphor for the loneliness of characters in the novel. However, in this fic’s case, it is a representation of two characters who have no one but themselves (a metaphor for their desire to be “solitaire”). The way Hisoka acts within the manga/anime foreshadows his eventual decision to become a solitary man. Solitaire is also a card game (coughs at Hisoka), and its definition also enables it to represent “chance.” Illumi and Hisoka, canonically, most likely met in a completely random situation that didn’t adhere to normal circumstances. If you want to know more about the symbolism of Solitaire in “Of Mice and Men” you can read more [here](http://www.123helpme.com/assets/16357.html).


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